Transport apparatus



NOV. 28, 1967 R, A PANN|CK ET AL 3,354,835

TRANSPORT APPARATUS Filed March 30, 1965 wvtmons ROBERT A.PANNICK. ROBERT T-EDMUNDS- a PIQMLM;

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,354,835 TRANSPORT APPARATUS Robert A. Pannick, Lower Lake Road, and Robert T. Edmunds, 80 Elm St., both of Norwich, NY. 13815 Filed Mar. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 443,906 4 Claims. (Cl. 104173) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE 7 Ski lift employing a flexible tension cable arranged in a loop, the loop being resiliently supported above the ground on a plurality of resilent support arms all inclined in the same direction, and a car straddling and resiliently depressing the cable and having power means adapted to engage the cable to pull the car therealong, the cable in one form being a sprocket chain, and the car having a power driven sprocket. The car is also steered by the cable to proceed along the cable.

This invention relates to ski lifts or similar transport apparatus and is described particularly in relation to a ski lift employing a stationary tow line of chain or cable utilized as a guide and traction means for a car having power means to pull itself along the line.

Ski lifts, as presently developed, generally comprise an overhead endless cable supported from towers arranged along the lift way which cable is power driven at one end, and serves to pull skiers up a slope, through T bars or otherwise such as chairs or cabs affixed to and suspended from the cable. Such lifts are of a permanent nature, and once installed at a particular site, are not readily moved to a different site, should weather conditions or lack of popularity for the run dictate a change in location. The cable in such an installation must have the requisite tensil strength to pull the entire contingent of skiers who may be depending upon the lift for transport, since power is applied thereto at one end.

The present invention is directed to a system adapted to avoid the permanence associated with the installation of former tows and is directed to a system wherein installation is a relatively simple matter, and wherein the tow line employed may be relatively light and of low tensil strength. More particularly the invention is directed to a system in which the tow line is fixed and anchored at fixed intervals in a loop and supported above the ground, and in which the line is resiliently supported at a height to maintain the tow line clear of snow. The tow line serves as a guide and traction means for self-propelled cars adapted to pull itself along the tow line. In practice a light roller link chain of the sprocket chain variety or ordinary log chain may be preferred, although the invention may utilize light weight cable or another form of tow line, by suitable modification of the power actuated pulling and guiding mechanism carried by the self propelled cars.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of the general arrangement of the ski slope ascending apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of a car disposed along a section of the tow line;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a typical support for the tow line; and

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the fore and aft ends of a car to illustrate the sprocket drive for pulling the vehicle along the tow line, and the steering linkage.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is indicated a ski slope to which has been applied a stationary tow line loop 20. The tow line, which may be formed of lightweight sprocket chain 21, disposed edgewise, is supported resiliently at a predetermined height from a plurality of arms 22 extending upwardly from any suitable anchorages in the ground, the arms being yieldingly held in an inclined position for this purpose. In this manner the line is maintained at a suitable height above the ground and relatively clear of snow. The upper end 24 of the tow line may be disposed adjacent the upper end of a ski run, while the lower end 26 is disposed near the lower end of the run. The length of line indicated at 28 will be the ascending portion of the loop, and the line indicated at 30 will constitute the descending portion of the loop.

One or more cars 32 having a prime mover 34, such as an internal combustion engine, are disposed astraddle of the tow line or chain 21. Such cars may tow one or more unpowered cars. The engine is adapted to drive the car along the tow line through a sprocket wheel 36 disposed beneath the car, and preferably adjacent the rear end thereof. The car may have wide tread wheels, for ready rolling on terrain covered with snow, or may, if desired be provided with runners, or a combination. For purposes of illustration, wheels are shown, the rear wheels 38 and 40 being free running on fixed axles, while the front wheels 42 and 44 are steerable and mounted on pivoted stub axles 46 and 48 connected by a steering linkage including a tie bar 50. A guide arm 52 pivoted as at 54 to the underside of the car is pivotally connected to the tie bar 50 as at 56, and is provided on the underside with lateral rollers 60 and 62 pivoted on stub shafts 61 and 63, and between which the traction chain 21 runs as the car is propelled forwardly. Any lateral deviation of the car with respect to the stretched section of the tow line ahead of the power driven sprocket 36 and the nearest resilient anchor bar 22 (see FIG. 2) immediately forward of the car, automatically steers the wheels 42 and 44 to maintain the car on the course along which the chain 21 and its resilient support arms 22 have been laid.

The prime mover 34 drives the sprocket 36 through a gear box containing a clutch, controlled by a hand lever 72, and reduction gearing, such as a worm and worm wheel. The output shaft of such reduction gearing may be the vertical shaft 74 extending through a bearing 76 in the car flooring 73 to the sprocket 3-6 keyed on the end thereof. Idler rollers, 80 and 82, journalled on stub shafts 84 and 86 projecting downwardly from and secured to the underside of the car flooring 78, embrace the chain before and after it passes over the sprocket 36 to retain the chain in engagement with the motor driven sprocket. While the foregoing is illustrated in a diagrammatic manner, it will be understood that the details may be executed in various ways by those skilled in the art. By reason of the clutch in the gear box 70, controlled by the lever 72, the prime mover or motor 34 may be started, without car movement. Thereafter the clutch is engaged, and the car propelled by the engine driven sprocket. Any linkage to the front end of the car to actuate the clutch or the engine throttle (not shown) may be provided as desired.

While the car may be fitted out in any manner suitable I for the transport of skiers, it will appear that by providing a lengthwise extending double bench having supports 91, and a central back rest 90, and a seat such as 92 disposed on opposite sides of the back rest, skiers are readily accommodated, facing side ways, and arranged back to back, with their skis disposed on the flooring 78, extending crosswise of the vehicle. The size of the vehicle may be varied and if the width of the flooring or platform 78 be in'the neighborhood of six or seven feet, the riders will not necessarily need to remove the skis from their feet, and the skis will not project unduly beyond the platform sides.

The arms 22, which support the chain 21 elevated out of the snow, may be round in section and of spring steel. The forward end of each arm will be rigidly affixed to a low anchor post such as 160, driven in the ground. The lower end of the bar may be flattened as at M2 to facilitate resiliency, and the flattened end secured to the post end as by lag screws 104 or the like. The upper end of each rod may be flattened as at 196 so as to provide the same with a resilient end pad, to which may be affixed in any suitable manner a pin 108, the upper end of which will'constitute one pin of the link chain 21.

It will be seen that by reason of the resilient support of the chain'21, at a suitable height above the ground by the arms 22, the chain is kept clear of snow and ice. At the same time, as a car draws itself along the chain, the weight of the car'depresses the chain so as to pass therebeneath, the arms 22 being yieldingly depressed by the weight ofthe car, and the tension thereon resulting from the tension applied to the chain by the sprocket in drawing the car along the chain. As shown in FIGURE 2, the arm 22 has been resiliently depressed, so as to allow the chain to pass between the steering guide rollers 60 and 62 beneath the car to the sprocket 36. The chain behind the car is promptly lifted, as the car clears the same by the arms 22 disposed behind the car.

Once a car is disposed astraddle of a length of chain and the chain disposed between the rollers 60 and 62, and threaded over the sprocket 36, such length of chain may be connected to a section of the loop chain, by pulling the pins of the chain links at suitable points. For example by. pulling a pin at A (FIGURE 1), the length of chain B may be coupled to a length of chain C beneath the car D, so that the car can be backed downwardly onto the loop section 28, after which the length of chain B is detached from the section of chain 0, and recoupled into the loop, by restoring the pin at A. Thus cars are added or removed from the loop as needed, or switched from one loop to another, if a second loop is provided, without the necessity of rethreading chain through the steering rolls 60 and 62, sprocket36 and its guide rolls.

In practice the support arms 22 may be spaced at intervals of 50 feet, more or less on straight sections, and located more closely on curves, the closeness depending on the degree of curvature. It will be seen that the section of chain ahead of the car to the nearest support arm 22, is the sole portion of the chain under tension due to the pullofthe car. on the chain from the power driven sprocket. Thusif cars are so spaced that no two cars are disposed between adjacent support arms, the total tension on a chain at any point will be that resulting from one car drawing itself along the chain. Thus while a loop may accommodate many cars, the chain need only be of a strength to serve a single car. Thus the chain 21, or tow line, arms 22, anchors 100, etc., need not be bulky or unnecessarily heavy, and a ski tow loop 20 may be readily set out along a particular run, or removed therefrom, with a minimum of labor and expense. On a steep down grade section, the direction of the support arms 22 may be reversed, since with the engine idling and acting as a brake, tension on the chain to the rear of the car will occur. Any suitable braking equipment, such as a drag brake, as will be understood in the art, may be employed on the car. Additionally it will be understood that the car may be provided with snow plow or grading attachments to smoothen over, or clear, the course over which the car propels itself.

While a single form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Transport apparatus comprising an endless loop of relatively stationary cable disposed on an incline, said loop having a portion extending up the incline, and a portion extending down the incline, said portions being entirely free of one another except as they form a part of the loop, means for anchoring and yieldingly supporting said cable at a predetermined height above the ground and at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, said support means comprising a plurality of tension arms anchored at one end with respect to the ground and afi'ixed to the underside of said cable at the other end, said arms all being yieldingly inclined in the same direction along the loop and said portions thereof, and independent of one another to yieldingly support said cable at the predetermined height.

2.A ski lift comprising an endless loop of relatively stationary sprocket chain disposed on a ski slope, means for anchoring and yieldingly supporting said chain at a predetermined height above the ground and at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, said support means comprising a plurality of tension arms anchored at one end with respect to the ground and aflixed to the underside of said chain at the other end, said arms being yieldingly inclined to yieldingly support said chain at the predetermined height.

3. A ski lift comprising an endless loop of relatively stationary sprocket chain disposed on a ski slope, means for anchoring and yieldingly supporting said chain at a predetermined height above the ground and at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, said support means comprising a plurality of tension arms anchored at one end with respect to the ground and afiixed to the underside of said chain at the other end, said arms being yieldingly inclined to yieldingly support said chain at the predetermined height, and a car adapted to straddle said chain and having power driven sprocket means engaging said chain at a level below said predetermined height, for propelling said car therealong in the direction to resiliently depress and tension said arms as the car progresses along the chain.

4. A ski lift comprising an endless loop of relatively stationary sprocket chain disposed on a ski slope, means for anchoring and yieldingly supporting said chain at a predetermined height above the ground and at predetermined intervals along the length thereof, said support means comprising a plurality of tension arms anchored at one end with respect to the ground and affixed to the underside of said chain at the other end, said arms being 5 6 yieldingly inclined to yieldingly support said chain at References Cited the predetermined height, and a car adapted to straddle UNITED STATES PATENTS said chain and having power driven sprocket means engaging said chain at a level below said predetermined 1,313,357 8/1919 Watkms 1O4117 height, for propelling said car therealong in the direction 5 2,646,005 7/1953 Swenson 104-173 to resiliently depress and tension said arms as the car 2,709,966 6/1955 Boynton 104 173 progresses along the chain, said car having steering means 3,122,710 12/1963 Van Evera and means forward of said sprocket means for engaging said chain and actuating said steering means in response ARTHUR LA POINT P'mmry Exammer' to deviation of the car laterally with respect to the chain. 10 D. F. WORTH, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A SKI LIFT COMPRISING AN ENDLESS LOOP OF RELATIVELY STATIONARY SPROCKET CHAIN DISPOSED ON A SKI SLOPE, MEANS FOR ANCHORING AND YIELDINGLY SUPPORTING SAID CHAIN AT A PREDETERMINED HEIGHT ABOVE THE GROUND AND AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TENSION ARMS ANCHORED AT ONE END WITH RESPECT TO THE GROUND AND AFFIXED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID CHAIN AT THE OTHER END, SAID ARMS BEING YIELDINGLY INCLINED TO YIELDINGLY SUPPORT SAID CHAIN AT THE PREDETERMINED HEIGHT, AND A CAR ADAPTED TO STRADDLE SAID CHAIN AND HAVING POWER DRIVEN SPROCKET MEANS ENGAGING SAID CHAIN AT A LEVEL BELOW SAID PREDETERMINED HEIGHT, FOR PROPELLING SAID CAR THEREALONG IN THE DIRECTION TO RESILIENTLY DEPRESS AND TENSION SAID ARMS AS THE CAR PROGRESSES ALONG THE CHAIN, SAID CAR HAVING STEERING MEANS AND MEANS FORWARD OF SAID SPROCKET MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID CHAIN AND ACTUATING SAID STERRING MEANS IN RESPONSE TO DEVIATION OF THE CAR LATERALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE CHAIN. 